Chapter 7: Millicent

Author's note: I've changed the planet Avin is in charge of as an annexation would be far more likely on an Outer Rim world. Paraxetes as the capital city is my own invention. Inspiration for the palace/government buildings of Daxam IV is based on the Doge's Palace in Venice.

Junior Officer Xytel looked up from the portion of the conveyor belt he was assigned to, sneaking a brief moment to ease the pain in his neck. The poster in front of him took up his whole vision, an image which was placed everywhere on the lower levels. It was a majestic black and red poster of his leader General Hux. The slogan of the First Order was emblazoned across the bottom:

ORDER LOYALTY DISCIPLINE

As usual whenever Xytel saw the poster he was struck with a feeling of intense pride in the Order. General Hux was a keen, intelligent and ruthless leader who had seen them through countless victories. Xytel still felt a tremendous thrill in his stomach when he considered that he was working on one of their most important ships. After the Republic had sanctified his planet to be a slave colony the First Order had given him a home, a job, a feeling of purpose. To be given work on the Finalizer was a dream come true no matter what level he was at. A quick glance upwards showed his processing area for incoming deliveries was at the very bottom of the fantastic machine that was the ship. He was standing in a huge, cavernous enclose which appeared as a dense honeycomb of levels. The higher up your level the higher you were in command chain. The very top, far above his station was the bridge and upper echelon's quarters where Lord Kylo Ren, General Hux and other high-level members of the First Order planned and strategized.

A new shipment had arrived from offworld. The conveyor belt moved and a large package with strange holes in the top appeared as a deposit from the cargo ship. As soon as it entered his processing area the scanners went haywire. He checked the parcels electronic tag.

Personal Item.

Organic Matter.

Extremely delicate.

It was very rare for anyone to process a personal item by interplanetary delivery. The Stormtroopers had no personal effects at all and deliveries for other crew personnel were forbidden. Xytel flicked through the available information nervously looking for the delivery recipient. Whoever was receiving this package would find themselves at the mercy of the firing squad, it was treachery to give away the Finalizer's location. The package moved out of the corner of his eye and he jumped in absolute terror. It moved again, rocking subtly, and Xytel could see other officers looking up from their own work, curiosity getting the best of them. He looked down again at his device to find out the owner.

Delivery recipient:

General Hux

Handle with Care

The line manager strode towards Xytel who was shaking like a leaf. His whole mouth had gone dry. He had only been on the Finalizer for one week like the rest of the new crew, transferring from a smaller ship. He would have to follow protocol perfectly or face severe punishment.

"Officer Xytel."

"Yes sir."

"Show me your security device."

He handed it over quickly and watched his manger's face change as he read who it was for. He briefly glanced at him and then back to the package which was making a strange noise.

"Does it carry any pathogens?"

"No sir, the sensors have checked, and it is safe to bring on board."

"Very well." The manager keyed something into his own device and after a few minutes received confirmation. "Deliver the package."

When he was given the access key Xytel made his way to the service elevator, nervously keying in '1' on the data pad. The elevator would take him up 200 levels to reach the first floor where Hux's personal chambers were. He was going to see a place that someone from his level would never, ever see again. He would be in the very same space as General Hux, his hero, had been. As they quickly moved up the levels the box moved violently and Xytel nearly dropped it, his heart almost beating out of his chest. After what felt like an eternity the lift doors opened and he stepped out into a cold, dimly lit hallway. Only one black door was present. He placed his finger against the door sensor alerting whoever was inside that he was present.

"What is your business?" the sharp Coruscant inflected accent he heard replayed at every mealtime shot through the intercom system. He was so terrified he almost wet himself.

"G-General, sir, there is a package containing organic matter delivered from Daxam IV."

There was silence from the intercom apart from a static hiss.

"General, sir, it is marked under a trusted source."

The door slid open. He jumped again unsure of what he was supposed to do.

"Enter."

He marched through holding the package in front of him like a holy relic. The general sat in what appeared to be a Spartan lounge which was in various shades of black. A low lying sofa and two straight backed chair pointed towards a table on which various data pads were carefully placed. Xytel could hear a small water feature tinkling in the corner of the room. The only splash of colour was the general's perfectly coiffured hair. The general sat on the sofa, his long legs in front of him, an imperial sneer etched into his face. Xytel immediately bowed his head and held out the package to him still standing in the door frame of the corridor.

"Open it." commanded General Hux.

"Yes, sir."

He carefully pulled the box open. A small furry orange creature looked up out at him. It was making a high-pitched keening noise.

"Sir, it appears to be an animal."

The air disturbance near him told Xytel that General Hux was standing right beside him. He choked and backed away, bowing his head again in a sign of obedience.

"It is a cat." He said briskly and picked it up with both hands. The creature keened again and scratched at his leather gloves.

"Tell no one of this or there will be consequences."

"Yes, sir!"

"Place the box on the floor. You are dismissed."

He did what he was told and as he leaned down a piece of paper inside the box caught his eye. Xytel had never seen real paper before, nor anything handwritten. He could just make out the words of the flowing script. It read 'A ginger for a ginger. A.'

The hallway was dim as they marched through, their footsteps clattering loudly on the stone floor. Her red dress flowed across the ground as she was pressed in on both sides by Stormtroopers. They were rushing her through the building and Avin could feel her heart beating loudly in her chest. The remnants of gunfire and fighting were still seen spotted around the long corridors. She had no idea what would happen next but she could only hope things went well. A large frame door stood at the end of the long hall and from it she could see the twilight sky of Daxam IV and the lights of the city Parxetes below. As she stepped out through the doorway onto the balcony a man in official robes gestured at her.

"I welcome to the podium Governor Shuah." He bellowed to the millions crowded around the Government buildings of Parxetes. She moved to stand near the voice enhancer microphone and took a minute to survey the crowd before beginning. Underneath her flowing dress her knees knocked together in nervousness, but it began to calm when she heard her rolling voice echoing back to her as it spread out through the city.

"People of Daxam IV! I give you great news. Recent upsurges by the resistance terrorists have been quelled by the hard work of First Order Troops. They have fought valiantly against the New Republic's warships and succeeded in defending us all. I know some of you have lost family and loved ones in the fighting. Some of you are heartsick and your homes have been destroyed. You are not the only ones! I lost my beloved family at the hands of the New Republic. They ruined Naboo and countless other worlds. They hide behind the Galactic Concordant while bombing us in our homes. The New Republic do not want peace. They wish for misery and corruption. The First Order will not allow them to prevail!

A loud cheer rose up from the crowd. She waited for it to die down before beginning again, allowing time for some deep breaths. Out of the corner of her eye she could see herself projected onto a huge screen overhanging the government buildings. Huge First Order scrolls hung behind her on both sides demanding attention for all to see. She knew it was spectacle but after all the ugly fighting she was happy to give them something strong to believe in. These people needed hope like she had needed hope after the horrors of war, the cowardice of the New Republic's airstrikes. So much had changed in the last ten years. She was proud of all the First Order had accomplished. The elation of speaking to millions soared through her.

As we speak our greatest ship, the star of our fleet is being launched. The Finalizer is preparing for battle. Our fleet will bring justice and order to the Galaxy. Some of you had nothing under the New Republic's corrupt machinery. We will give you jobs and training! Some of you were too fearful to walk the streets under the New Republic's weak policing. We will give you order and safety! All of you feared for your culture and way of life under a lazy government who made choices for you from the other side of the Galaxy. We have given you back your power. With your help we will make Daxam IV a power to rival the corrupt Core planets!

A massive cheer ran through the crowd gathered around the building and again through the many streets, rooms and workplaces where Avin knew her image was projected as image or hologram. She raised her hand in the air as a triumphant gesture and 50 million hands raised in salute across the desert planet. The shouts and cheers gave her a huge coursing sense of victory and elation. She had won them. Daxam IV was theirs for the taking. As she finished a small child was brought up and she held him in her arms. The dark-haired boy gripped around her neck and beamed out at the crowd. The scene of a First Order Governor holding a small smiling child would be plastered all over the galaxy from now on. The importance of the First Order's image had been an idea she had broached early in her discussions with Armitage and the fruits of her labour were present everywhere. She spoke again, this time with less formality.

As my beloved parents would want, all of Daxam IV should celebrate this victory tonight with us. Tonight, is our night to put the past behind us and celebrate all that we still have.

She left the podium and her assistant stood at the door holding a glass of cold water for her to gulp down. Avin quickly handed the child to a member of her staff after ruffling his hair for a brief moment. The device her assistant had tucked into her arm showed Avin's schedule for the day and it looked horribly full, as usual.

"Governor Shuah, the chief engineer on Anaxes wished to speak to you about a shipment of TIE fighters to the Mordant. I have arranged a meeting with the representatives of Coruscant for this evening before the celebrations. The Twi'lek delegation will be present at the opera house tomorrow night."

"Good work. Tell the chief engineer I will contact him in three hours approximately."

"Yes Governor. The package you wanted delivered to the Finalizer has been sent and has been marked as received."

She looked up from the document and allowed a small smile to slide across her face. They strode on, Avin already late for a celebratory lunch with the upper members of the Mordant. The event was hosted on the other side of the building which had been left intact from laser fire. She entered the airy room to find the colonels and another guest gathered together discussing the newly launched ship. As they turned to face her she immediately recognised him.

"This celebration you have organised is coming out of First Order coffers." Commandant Hux accused, his dark brown eyes narrowing in her direction. Ever since the supposed dissolution of her and his son's marriage arrangement Commandant Hux had a personal vendetta against Avin, begrudging her every single decision. She had gotten used to it over the last six years after taking over her father's shipping business and the production of ships for the Order. In any given situation it was her voice that held the power in negotiations now. The crew of the Mordant watched the interchange with fascination.

"Morale Commandant. I always prefer the carrot to the stick when trying to get personnel for a ship. Wouldn't you agree? Daxam IV has a wealth of well-trained civilians in operative management for the Finalizer. And the Finalizer is in need of management crew." She countered back, smiling faintly in his direction as they took their seats at the table. After a few moments she raised a glass and they followed her in raising theirs, the dark pink liquid throwing coloured light onto the table. "To the First Order." she said. "To the First Order" they echoed. To my mother and father, she thought. A horrible pang ran through her which she quashed immediately. Right now, she had to play the game and make sure the crew of the Mordant enjoyed their stay and the hospitality she could offer. She never knew when she would need them in the future. For now, all she could do was push the feeling away to return to it later when she was in the privacy of her own rooms.

Her favourite part of the day was returning to a place where she could breathe again. After finishing her meetings and resultant paperwork she made her way quickly to the place she now considered home in the upper part of the government buildings. She had organised the huge celebration taking over Daxam IV but she would not be joining them. It was true that Avin was terribly, terribly lonely. Solitude didn't suit her, like a flower without sunshine. The duties of the office made every single action of her day a formal occasion. The only place she could be herself was in her inner rooms and no one else was allowed into what she referred to in jest as her inner sanctum. Her own rooms were full of the paintings and other artworks which she had rescued from the galleries and museums when airstrikes had rained down on Theed. The mementos she had gathered throughout her young adult life were placed throughout including an original copy of Xingotl's meditations which her father had given her on her 21st birthday. On the wall beside her personal communicator her prized holograph recordings hung as well as poster of her family at a ball held in her father's honour after their corporate take-over of Anaxes. On the other wall was one of the new posters supplied by the First Order - a huge red stylized print of General Hux in a posture of authority, golden beams surrounding his figure. The words Order, Loyalty and Discipline were in black lettering underneath his image. She had personally chosen the poster after he had sent her the materials his communications team had suggested. They had been dull, drab and unimaginative – everything the Arkansas Academy had trained them for. Her design was a replication of a famous Naboo portrait of an emperor from the Gintoolt era, a beautiful painting which had been destroyed during the bombings. It would live on in a weak echo for the whole galaxy to see.

She changed immediately, getting out of the voluminous, course material of her dress for something soft and floaty. These were the kind of clothes which would be completely inappropriate for her current station. The silk scarves she loved as a kid were still here, but now she had to wear them in private. Even the act of buying them was frowned upon, a treacherous act of Republican individuality. She was currently working on downgrading this dogmatism which had arisen from their clashes with the New Republic but it would take years of effort to re-educate. Shaking away thoughts of work she chose a beautiful silk nightdress with a colourful robe in rainbow colours. She had been so excited to get home all evening, brimming with expectancy. She looked in the mirror of her dresser seeing her father's dark skin and hair shine in the twilight while her mother's wistful blue eyes stared back out at her. It made her happy to see them when she looked in the mirror, although they would have been shocked by her severe neutral comportment. For the sake of respectability she had overruled her curly mane of hair for a sleek updo which she could finally release with a sigh. The pressure of the hairstyle gave her tensions headaches throughout the day. Relaxed and ready she sat before her console waiting for the call. It was the first time since his new command that they could speak to each together.

Incoming transmission from the Finalizer.

"Accept call." She said quietly.

General Hux appeared on the screen a mere shadow of the heavily retouched poster of him in arrogant profile which was hung on her wall. He leaned forward to see her better and she could see dark circles were present under his eyes. Less than a week on the new ship and he was already not sleeping. This was not a good sign, she thought.

"I believe congratulations are in order General Hux."

"I could reciprocate the same sentiment." He intoned. His gelled back hair shone in the distant glow of his private quarters. He looked slightly more relaxed in his uniform underclothes then the full military regalia he wore in all official images of the First Order. Right now, he was wearing an almost casual turtleneck and black slacks. As she sat down at the console, making sure her robe was securely fastened for modesty, he briefly dipped his head in greeting. Throughout the years they had maintained contact through these late-night calls after they both finished the hard duty of work. She knew for both of them it was impossible to appear unguarded and relaxed in their working life, she looked forward to their long discussions which she could never have during the day.

"I spoke about my mother and father today."

"I know. I was watching." She smiled. She knew he was busy supplying and organising the ship.

"We must look forward to the future and never dwell on the past." He suggested earnestly. She nodded her head at him and after a few moments collected herself again while he patiently waited. When she smiled again he spoke:

"I have been given a gift by the Supreme Leader. He has allowed me unmonitored use of the communicator for specified persons."

She frowned and leaned forward to the screen.

"You have been promoted to General and that is what you ask for?" she said reprimanding him. He snorted at her as he removed his gloves.

"Don't be preposterous. Surely you know me better Avin. My request was to stand on his right-hand side equal to that damnable apprentice of his. We had our first meeting today. The supreme leader has great plans for his new ship. This was simply a little personal boon."

"Are we being monitored now?" she asked already sure of the answer.

"No." he whispered. They watched each other, waiting for one to make the first move. It had been a very long time since they had had privacy with each other and a thrum of expectancy hung in the air. He broke first.

"Take off your clothes" he ordered.

She smiled and slowly removed the colourful robe that was fastened tightly around her waist allowing it to drop to the floor. His face was resting in its typical half-scowl. The jewel-coloured robe revealed a frilly night slip in buttercup yellow that plunged spectacularly on her cleavage. His face did not change. She slowly pulled down one arm strap and then the other allowing the dress to fall slowly away from one full breast at a time before pooling at her feet. The soft feel of her hair running down her bare back gave her chills. The only thing she had on now was a small pair of panties. His face had turned a delightful shade of red. Gently she reached up and cupped her breasts, letting her thumb rub over her nipples. She knew he was a breast man since she had stumbled upon his secret photo of her cleavage as a teenager. Low-cut tops and dresses had been part of the game they had played with each other over communication which was so closely monitored. They had never finished what they started all those years ago in Naboo and the tension had hung in the air for years. His eyes slowly slid from her large breasts down to the small piece of material still covering her sex.

"Take it off." he croaked. She slowly peeled it off her body and let it drop to the floor as well. She sat down in her chair again and spread her legs already feeling wetness in her excitement. His face finally showed emotion and there was such hunger there that she realised she had gone too far. She closed her legs abruptly. He had never seen her fully naked before.

"Open your legs." He ordered her again, as if she was one of his subordinates. She stared at him boldly as she snuck down one of her fingers to circle her folds as she re-opened her legs. His panting through the speakers was oddly tinny and obscene. She hoped the guards standing at her door couldn't hear anything. She could hear the movement of cloth now and he moved his hand out of view underneath the desk. His whole mouth had slackened now just like the first time she had touched him. She began rubbing at her herself in smaller circles, making it obvious to him that they were touching themselves together. The idea of it made her sex throb and she leaned her head back in pleasure.

"You know what I'm going to do to you when we are together?" she whispered slyly at him.

He looked at her with a begging, apprehensive look in his eyes.

"I'm going to visit your office on the bridge for a formal meeting."

"Yes?"

"Then I'll close the door and kneel down in front of you."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a dirty slut."

"Yes."

"And you're a filthy pig."

"Yes."

"You've been wanting to fuck me for years you dirty bastard. Haven't you General Hux? Using all your power to fuck helpless women?"

He groans in response.

"You won't give me the trade deals unless I give you something in return."

"Give me what I want." He gasped out. His flushed face and fast pumping arm showed how much he was enjoying this. She could feel her end approaching soon, little shocks of pleasure slowly speeding up with small cramps which made her thrust her hips forward in his direction.

"What do you want from me General Hux?" she moved her fingers over herself quicker and he stared between her legs, his eyes running up and down her body.

"I want you to – I want you to suck my cock." Getting out the words is like pain for him, Avin knows how he conditioned he is to never ever swear.

"So I open your trousers and pull out your cock. Then I slowly lick up and down it, playing with the head with the tip of my tongue. It tastes so good." She stopped for a moment unable to speak as an unbelievably strong orgasm ripped through her body. He continued to pump furiously.

"I want you here right now." He gasped out as she moaned out her release and then dips her fingers into her dripping wet core. "I want to be inside you right now. I'm going to - fuck you. I'm going to punish you for making me want you for so long."

Suddenly he came, grunting loudly as if in pain his whole face grimacing curling into himself as he pumped himself out. He paused for a moment deflating in his chair, his face free of tension for a brief moment making him look like the young boy she met over a decade ago. Then he roused himself obviously unsure what to do with a hand covered in fluid. He stood up and awkwardly walked/crouched towards his fresher with his hand held in front of him. Avin had never seen him so human. She heard him wash his hands and then he was back at the screen sitting down again with straight back and perfect hair as if nothing had ever happened. She knows later she will feel embarrassed about what they just did. Slightly shy she puts her robe back on and tied it tight. She has never spoken like that to a man before in her life. She enjoyed every second of it.

She could hear a faint scratching noise and he looked over his shoulder and opened the door to his bedroom before taking his seat again.

"That was –" she faltered, not knowing what to say. It was the furthest they had gone sexually with each other in a very long time. It had helped the piercing ache she felt for him every time they spoke, but she would not be distracted. They sat in silence again. She couldn't speak to him on such a personal level right now, so she tried to return to business.

"Armitage, Daxam IV is secure as I predicted-"

"I do not think we will have to wait for much longer." He interrupted, leaning forward in an oddly tentative movement "Our defence against the New Republic will be complete soon. Then we will have enough time-"

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

"We will not have to wait much longer. Our plans for partnership will go ahead." He says patiently, looking eerily like his father in the turn of his head. "I want to be with-"

He paused and looked down suddenly, a deep frown growing on his face.

"What is it?" she asked, curious.

"Nothing." he said, but he looked down again only a few moments later. A little ginger blob slowly came into view and a tiny round face peeped up at the screen. The kitten meowed at her, purring furiously on Armitage's lap.

"Awhhhh!" Avin squealed putting her hands to her face in a sudden gush.

"What is it doing on me?" he said sounding incredibly uncomfortable as the cat slowly creeped up his black jumper to sit on his shoulder. The two shared the exact same hair-colour and the image of them was so strangely endearing that Avin burst into deep rolling laughter.

"Do not laugh at me Avin." he commanded, and she began to laugh harder still caught in the afterglow of her orgasm. When she had calmed down the cat had returned to his lap and he gingerly picked it up with both hands and placed it on the ground like it would explode.

"There were instructions on the kitten's maintenance."

"Yes, I fed the creature this evening. I would treat anything you gave me with complete respect Avin."

"You can't keep calling it 'the creature'."

"Naming animals is the symptom of weak and sentimental minds." He countered back. She ignored him, she had heard his father saying something similar at the lunch today about her celebrations.

"You want a good First Order name for your pet General. Something strong, noble, robust, vicious. A name you can hang your hat on."

"Crusher?" Armitage said hopefully. She rolled her eyes.

"How about Millicent?"

"Yes." He said, as the kitten jumped lightly back into his lap to begin purring loudly again. "Yes. It suits her."